This explains the horns.

If I enter just my first name, this is the result:

You Are The Devil

You don't represent evil, but you do represent the animalistic side of humans.You demonstrate what happens when we listen to our first instincts.At times you tend to be materialistic and hedonistic, giving in to temptation.Admit it, you're guilty of acting first - and forgetting to think later!

Your fortune:

Right now, you may be having a difficult time as a result of choices you have made.You need to think about what's important in your life, and discover what chains you down.It is the time to acknowledge your faults and take steps to overcome them.It's also the time to let go of any fears or inhibitions that are holding you back.

You represent both fiery energy and steadfast will.You are innocent and naive - yet unafraid and undaunted.Perhaps you don't have the most powerful physical strength...But your mental powers make up for any amount of muscle.

Your fortune:

Lately, you have been a pillar of ethics and moral strength.And while things may be difficult, your faith in yourself will come through.You may need to conquer the animalistic nature of yourself or others, with gentle force.Although this may seem like the darkest hour for you, victory is near.

Surgery & A Birthday Party

Well, we managed to survive both.

The little guy had surgery on Friday. We had to be at the hospital by 6:30 a.m., which means I had to get my lazy butt out of bed by 4:30 so we could leave by 5:30. We let the kids sleep until the last possible second. I figured they could get dressed later and would be happier if they could snuggle into their blankets on the way down. This worked very well indeed. They slept most of the way.

My little guy was understandably nervous when they began prepping him for surgery. I was so proud of him. He was so very brave. When they gave him the silly-juice he started waving across the hallway another patient. Even though the lady didn't notice him, he kept right on a waving, smiling from ear to ear. It was so darn cute!

Unfortunately, the after-effects of the anesthetic wasn't at all adorable. The poor baby cried for at least a half-hour. They had warned us this was highly likely but it didn't make it any easier to handle. I've never felt to useless. Even though I held him, hugged him, kissed him, sang to him, he cried and cried. He cried for his daddy. When daddy held him, he cried for me.

When he finally got something to drink and a popsicle, his crying turned into sniffles and then disappeared altogether. He ate three popsicles and drank some 7-Up before they finally released him.

Before we could see him in the recovery room the surgeon came out to talk to us. It seems the cyst is congenital, which means it's been there since birth. We already knew this because we've watched it develop from a dimple in his newborn skin into the abcsessed monstrosity it became. What we didn't know was the increased potential of new cysts developing. Apparently they could pop up anywhere from his chin to his collarbone.

Let's hope not. This poor baby has been through enough!

I have to say I've been impressed with how well he's done since the surgery. He's only taken the pain medication twice! Not bad considering it's only been three days.

Everyone got to look at his bandage on Saturday because my oldest boy turned eight. We always invite the family over to join in the celebration. So his cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents each had a chance to ooh and ahh over his owie.

Of course, his brother wasn't ignored. I took a few minutes on Friday night to make his pumpkin pies (requested months ago) and then a fun-fetti cake early Saturday afternoon. Of course, I almost forgot to wrap his gift so I had closet myself in the bedroom while the kids watched cartoons in the living room.

Eventually all our guests arrived. We ate sloppy joes and chips, sang Happy Birthday to the birthday boy, and watched him open his gifts. As usual, he was spoiled beyond comprehension. I think his favorite toy wasn't the Robo-pet we got him but the Yu-Gi-Oh Battle Disk. Figures. Although, he did have a lot of fun with the robo-pet today when it was just him and his brother.

About Valentine's Day

The following entry has been taken from my daily writing assignment for my creative writing course. Hope my teacher doesn't mind.

I’ve never been overly fond of the holiday, and not because I’m bitter or dispassionate. In fact, I’m blessed by the amount of love I have in my life.

I’ve been happily married for eleven years to my high-school sweetheart. We weren’t even your typical teenagers; we never broke up only to get back together a week or later. We’ve been together since the summer I turned fifteen.

I have two adorable little boys who give me hugs and kisses without me even asking. Their favorite game is “the kissy-momster” where I tackle them and kiss every inch of their little faces while they try to wriggle away. My oldest is almost strong enough to avoid my kisses now, even though he’s the biggest fan of the game.

Then there’s the dog and the cat. Even they love me. More so when I’m feeding them, mind you, but still they love me even when I’m not. Well. The cat is questionable at times. She can be quite hands-off when she’s not in the mood for lovins. Still, I know she prefers me to everyone else in the house.

Yet the love doesn’t stop there. Nope. I have parents and brothers and sisters who love me, even when I’ve managed to piss them off. If I needed any of them, they’d be there. I have no doubt. Our family is incredibly close. We were raised to believe in the “family first” motto. Our family takes this attitude so far I know I could call on any one of my aunts, uncles, or cousins and they’d be there as soon as humanly possible. How many people can confidently claim such a thing?

Rounding out the circle of love in my life would have to be my friends. I don’t have many true friends but the ones I do are solid. They’re there for the good and bad. They’re willing to put up with my bad attitudes and coax me out my funks. They laugh with me, cry with me, and tell me to behave myself every now and again.

Along for the Ride

I'm testing flickr's blog posting abilities. This is picture of my oldest son with his Aunt and Uncle. He moved too fast to stay with the little kids so they volunteered to take him with their two boys.

Superbowl Sunday

I hate football. I can't think of anything more painful than having to sit down and watch a game. Yet, every year my hubby and I go to Ken & Terri's to watch the Superbowl. Okay, they watch the game and I wait for the commercials, because let's be honest, the best part of the Superbowl is the commercials.

I think my favorite out of this year's selection would have to be the Bud Light where the office manager hides bottles of beer throughout the office. The mayhem struck my funny bone. How about you? Which was your favorite?